Don't Wait To Marinate

Summertime calls for AmeriGas Propane grilling. To get that perfect flavor you and your guests are craving, make sure you know the ins and outs of marinating your favorite food. There are several factors to take into account with marinade time: type of meat, size of meat chunks, and acidity of the marinade. For dark proteins — beef, lamb, pork — longer is always better. BUT, if the food is delicate — shrimp, flaky fish — stop marinating after 15 or 30 minutes or the acid will start to break down the protein too much. Chicken is somewhere in the middle, anywhere from 2 to 12 hours is good depending on the cut (skin-on breasts require less time, for example).

Don’t worry too much if you don’t have the exact ingredients in a recipe — just follow this basic formula.

Acid + Salt + Oil + Herbs/Seasonings/Sugar + Time = Marinade

ACID (but not too much)

Ex: vinegar, lemon/lime/orange juice, wine, buttermilk, or yogurt

Why: tenderize protein to let the other flavor-enhancing ingredients get in there

SALT

Or soy sauce

Why: also tenderizes

OIL

Ex: olive oil, canola oil

Why: helps release the flavor of spices or herbs and hold them in contact with the meat.